Team News

Still Finishing Up With a Constant Companion

Bryan Mosier was one of two Liberty offensive linemen recently selected to the Big South first-team all-conference team.

Editorial Note: This feature on Bryan Mosier ran in the fifth edition of Flames Illustrated, serving as the senior feature for Liberty's Family Weekend game against Presbyterian on Oct. 31. Mosier finished his career as a two-year starter on Liberty's offensive line, where he earned Big South first-team all-conference this season. As a senior, Mosier graded out as Liberty's top offensive linemen at 86 percent, where he led the program with 112.5 knockdowns.

Someone once said, "Everyone has a 'best friend' during each stage of life, only a precious few have the same one."

Since the age of three, Flames offensive lineman Bryan Mosier has had that one person he calls his best friend, that one shoulder he knows he can lean upon, if necessary. Mosier's go-to guy over the past twenty years has been none other than former Flames offensive lineman, team captain and current student assistant coach Mike Godsil.

As kids, the two wrestled each other on mats, clashed helmets in pee wee football and formed a brother-like bond that would carry over into their high school and college years.

Growing up in Mansfield, Ohio, the two suited up next to one another as senior captains for Madison Comprehensive High School, each earning numerous honors before transitioning to the collegiate level.

Having already been offered a scholarship at Liberty, Mosier made plans to journey to Lynchburg, Va., thinking he would have to part ways with his friend. Godsil, who had also received an offer from Liberty, was waiting on a phone call from Navy. Before hearing back from the academy, he came to Liberty for his official visit and decided soon after he would join Mosier in the Hill City.

In the tandem's first year together at Liberty, the coaching staff decided to redshirt Mosier, which meant the tandem would not finish their collegiate careers together. Flames offensive line coach Blaine McCorkle, who served two previous stints on the coaching staff at Liberty before returning this year, recalled coaching Mosier during his redshirt season.

"The first time I was here, I didn't know what we were going to do with him," McCorkle stated. "We spent half the season just trying to get him into a stance."

After reuniting with Mosier this year, McCorkle said the left guard has undergone a complete transformation.

"He's not even the same person," McCorkle noted emphatically. "I would challenge anybody to find somebody in the Big South Conference playing better up front than Bryan is right now."

Mosier's time at Liberty has been nothing short of a maturation process. In 2006, he saw playing time in four contests, receiving the start against Wake Forest in Winston Salem, N.C. The following year, Mosier increased his playing time to six games and allowed zero sacks.

That season, the Flames captured their first-ever Big South title. During the squad's final game of the season against Gardner-Webb, Godsil suffered a fractured fibula in the second quarter.

With the Flames' centerpiece now missing, the offensive line shifted over one spot, allowing Mosier to enter the game on the left side, essentially taking the place of his fallen friend. The Flames went on to dominate the Bulldogs, willing the game 31-0 and start their current stranglehold on the league.

"That really stands out to me, because I proved at that point I can do this," Mosier said.

Last season, the two friends lined up side-by-side all 12 games, with Godsil as the snapper and Mosier manning the left guard position. Together, the duo helped Liberty lock up a second-straight conference title. As friends who had known each other their whole lives, Godsil and Mosier developed a system that allowed them to easily communicate during a game without uttering any words.

"When we played together, we had a non-verbal communication where we trusted each other so much," Godsil said. "It was those unspoken things that allowed us to excel."

With Godsil now graduated, Mosier is playing without his best friend as his teammate for the first time since his days in junior high. However, Godsil still gets the chance to watch from the sidelines and cheer on his longtime teammate as a student assistant. This past spring, he witnessed Mosier receive the same honor he did just one year before, the offensive team captain position.

"I was so excited to see that he became a captain, because I really believe the heartbeat of any team lies within the offensive line," Godsil said.

When Mosier is not making blocks on the field, he enjoys spending time drawing, painting and creating various forms of artwork. In high school, he spent countless hours crafting paintings and sketches in the office of Mike's father, Matt, who happened to be his art instructor.

When Godsil's collegiate career came to an end last season, Mosier presented his teammate and friend with a gift, a self portrait. The painting featured a profile of Godsil, as well as, an in-game action shot of the snapper. The center of the piece listed all of Godsil's career accomplishments as a Flame.

"I had never painted anything for him before," Mosier said. "I thought it would be something great for Mike."

This season, Mosier is painting a masterpiece of a different kind. In the Flames' 58-13 win over Coastal Carolina on Oct. 17, he helped the Flames offense rack up 575 total yards.

"He was a huge part of it," McCorkle said. "He was physical and intense and he didn't let up one bit. He had his best game yet."

After his final season comes to an end, Mosier will prepare for another big moment in January, his wedding day. Just like their days on the field, Godsil will be standing alongside Mosier, this time as his best man.

While it may be one of the last times the two physically line up next to each other, Mosier and Godsil are likely to remain the best of friends, continuing to share a lifetime of memories.